Sputnik! vs Sat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sputnik!
Track the International Space Station and bright satellites with precise timing and location data. Get second-by-second countdowns, set reminders, and view satellite paths in the night sky. Supports offline calculations and sharing sightings.
- Accurate satellite and ISS sighting predictions
- Starlink satellite train detection
- Second-by-second countdowns
- Sighting reminders
- Compass direction and elevation display
- Night sky path visualization
- Offline calculations
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Sputnik! is an easy to use tool for predicting when the International Space Station will pass by your location or when a bright satellite will be visible in the skies above. Sputnik! features: - Predictions of satellite and ISS sightings accurate to the second. - Detection of Starlink satellite trains. - Second by second countdown to the satellite sighting. - Set reminders of upcoming satellite sightings. - Displays compass direction and elevation for your device to easily find the part of the sky where the sighting will occur (requires capable device). - Rotate your device to landscape orientation to show exactly where the satellite will pass in the night sky. - Share sightings via Twitter, Facebook, Mail, Messages and others. - Automatic download of up to date satellite orbital data. - Offline calculations, no need to be connected to the internet once orbital data has been downloaded. - Input your location automatically by GPS, select from a map or enter coordinates manually. - Save your favorite places for easy access. - Audio cues for the last seconds before the satellite passes by. Sputnik! on Apple Watch: - Easily find the next and last sighting at your current location. * Sputnik! is ad-supported *
Sat
Transform your smartphone into a satellite-enabled device for email and data communication anywhere. Connect via Wi-Fi to send and receive messages globally, even beyond cellular coverage.
- Satellite enabled device
- Send/receive email
- Data communication
- Wi-Fi enabled connection
- Global coverage
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Sat-Fi turns your smartphone or wireless device into a satellite enabled device. Easily send/receive email and data from any Wi-Fi enabled device from beyond cellular service with the world’s most reliable satellite hotspot. The App is available for Free to Sat-Fi users with the following requirements: •One of the following satellite Phones •Sat-Fi •GSP-1700 •GSP-1600 •GSP-2900 •SPOT Global Phone •Active Globalstar or SPOT satellite airtime plan •Sat-Fi App username and password
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sputnik! at 4.7 against Sat's 3.8. Sputnik! also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 67%) and ratings volume (731 vs 4). Sat's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Sputnik! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sat asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sputnik! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sputnik! has 731 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Sputnik!'s written reviews are positive against 67% of Sat's.
Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, Sat every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.
| Parameter | Sputnik! | Sat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (731 ratings) — better | 3.8 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 731 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Applicate Ltd | Globalstar Inc |
Customer experience
Sputnik!
Sat
Bugs and requests
Sputnik!
Reported bugs
3 issues- App reporting 'No Sightings' for all categories
- Null check errors when selecting satellite sightings
- Issues with location settings and data updates
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for more satellite types
- Improve sky chart visualization and orientation
- Provide filtering options (e.g. by elevation, magnitude)
- Implement automatic data updates
Sat
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sputnik!
- Go ad-free$0.99
Sat
No in-app purchases
